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  • January and Jelly Beans: How Organizing Will Help You Meet Your Goals

    jelly-bean-mason-jar

    One of my highlights in January is buying a new planner and diary for the year ahead. I love the sense of new beginnings that it gives me. Re-organize, re-group and re-focus – that is my January motto.

    While many may balk at the prospect of reworking tasks or plans, reorganizing can be incredibly motivating and can set the tone for a productive and rewarding year.

    Have you given your year ahead any thought yet? Do you have ambitious plans to drive your dreams forward?

    What a great start to the year for those of you that have been decisive!

    If not, don’t panic, you are not alone and there is still time to get onto it. I have had many a conversation with those who feel they are just too busy for all that sensible sorting out nonsense. Or you may be someone who has just become wrapped up in your daily process and simply not stopped to consider the possibilities in a new year.

    Even if you are anti-New Year’s Resolutions, resolve to dedicate a couple of hours to a little reorganizing and you might surprise yourself with all that can be achieved through a little task tackling.

    I highly recommend an administrative spring clean as a starting point. By dealing with all that tedious paperwork, writing up important diary dates and mapping out your intentions for the year, you will make great strides towards making your ambitions realities, along with having more time to do the stuff you really want to do. I would add that tediousness always needs to be balanced with pleasure…that would be a welcome little bag of Jelly Beans in my case! I am sure you will have your own favorites to support you through the somewhat mundane chores, but I guarantee you will be invigorated by the process in the end (not just high on sugar!).

    I usually find that by consciously and actively reorganizing myself I almost can’t help regrouping. Could I fit in more time with so and so? Do I want to keep up with this particular commitment? Am I still happy participating in or contributing to this activity? And so forth…

    When I was about 24, this exact process made me realize how much I wanted to travel and explore life abroad. I set in motion a plan that took four months to come to fruition and I moved from sleepy Durban, South Africa to busy, buzzing London, in the United Kingdom. A big dream had become a reality by simply getting organized.

    Working in Britain also made me realize that I wanted so much more from my skin care career and that has led to a fantastically enriched 18 years with The International Dermal Institute teaching all over the world. I am grateful every day for making the bold move to leave a stable job of 5 years to pursue travel dreams.

    Making a little time to reorganize, will give you opportunity to regroup, and inevitably re-focus. It may be just what you need to fire up your career, make those desirable life changes or simply make more of your current situation.

    January is the month where the New Year’s Resolutionists battle it out with the Cynics and Complacents. Some would say resolutions are a waste of time, as most rarely last beyond January. Yet, I would say that making them and keeping them depends largely on how important those resolutions are to you and your future.

  • SKINtuition: 5 Tips to Make Resolutions Stick

    annet croppedEmbarking on a new year means many of us will declare goals for 2016 (#Goals2016). Whether it is getting more financially, mentally or physically fit, starting or getting out of a business or relationship, or transforming ourselves entirely like Khloe K., resolutions are a great way to press the metaphorical “reset” button. However, research shows that only about 8% of us are successful in achieving resolutions. Reasons vary, but I think three may resonate with many of us.

    The past. When we are making that list, it is hard to not reflect on what we didn’t achieve the prior year. This can leave us feeling pretty lousy about ourselves, and that is not the best mindset for making positive changes.

    Guilt. Other “stuff” tends to get in the way of spending time on our goals, such as guilt about not giving enough time to our kids, our partner, our employees or our dog.

    Overachi­eving. Too many goals on the list can be overwhelming and paralyzing, not catalyzing.

    checklistSome good news—those who write down their resolutions are ten times more likely to achieve them. Find a partner to help you, and the odds go up again. So grab a pen and a pal, and try these tips to ensure 2016 fulfills your expectations.

    1. List Achievements and Fears First.

    Don’t begin with your 2016 to-do list. Rather, start out by listing the times in 2015 when you were superbly awesome. Include what you achieved, when you had to overcome fear and tried or learned something new. Print it, record it, pin it and every time you’re feeling less than confident or getting off track, read it out loud. Now that you are sufficiently pumped, take an honest look and make a list of what you fear and why. Is the fear rational? What is your plan to overcome it?

    2. Pick One Goal, Not Five.

    It is better to pick one specific, measurable goal that is broken into daily tasks or steps. This gives you a better chance of conserving enough self-control to succeed. For example, if your goal is to get regular exercise, your specific goal could be to go to the gym three times a week to workout for an hour or walk the dog every morning at 7a.m. for 30 minutes. Running a marathon, finding a mate and learning a new language while writing a memoir is a tad unachievable for most of us.

    3. Commit to You Time.

    The old cliché “take care of yourself first or you will have nothing left to give others” is not only true, but something that is very close to home in our industry. We are not the best at self-care as we spend our entire working day and sometimes home life caring for others. When you practice self-care in whatever form works for you (receiving professional help, meditation, massage, hiking a hill or weeding your succulents), you will have more time and love to give to those around you and energy towards achieving your goals.

    4. Hang Up the Cape.

    Many of us aspire to be a superhero and feel the pressure to compete and juggle it all, whether it is gaining a CrossFit bod, baking muffins for the kids, being a super thoughtful partner/​friend or moving up the corporate ladder. You simply can’t do it all at once; you’ll burn out and get overwhelmed. When you overextend yourself, you build up an energy debt, and have none leftover for your goals.

    5. No Shame Game.

    Don’t beat yourself up when you miss a workout, indulge in a latte or skip a class. It does not help. There’s even research to support this fact. Feeling shame increases stress and leads to worse outcomes. For example, fat shaming leads to more donut eating. So while it’s tough to say no to a Cronut or Krispy Kreme, eating a box shouldn’t be on anyone’s goal list.

    This article was originally published in SkinInc.com.

  • 3 Skin Care Habits Your Clients Should Keep Up With

    Tara - tempJanuary 1st brings many New Year’s resolutions to get healthy and take better care of ourselves. This usually brings the promise of going to the gym, eating better, and getting more sleep. However, another great way to take care of yourself is to focus on skin health! Most clients understand the importance of daily cleansing and moisturizing, but is that really enough? Think about the benefits of including weekly exfoliation, an at home masque and daily application of SPF. Not only will your clients see an immediate improvement in their skin, but your retail sales will also get a nice boost.

    So, why should a client exfoliate at home? Our skin goes through a natural exfoliation process called desquamation to help eliminate the buildup of dead skin cells. As we age, this process begins to slow down from every 28 days to 90+ days, resulting in dull skin. Thus, at home exfoliation is key to maintaining a youthful appearance. Clients will notice brighter skin tone, less breakouts, softened lines and smoother texture. Depending on the type of exfoliant (Scrub, Enzyme or Hydroxy Acids), recommended use may be 2-3 times per week. In some cases even a gentle daily microfoliation can be prescribed. Exfoliation should be performed after cleansing and will prepare the skin for the next important step in skin health, a masque!

    DERM_At_Home_Female_32637What does a masque really do? They are treatment products formulated to deliver concentrated ingredients directly to the skin. Think of it like this, a mini at home skin treatment in a bottle. A perfect way to give the skin a pick-me-up in between professional skin treatments. Depending on your client’s skin condition recommend a masque with multivitamins to nourish and replenish, Hyaluronic Acid and Tomato Seed Oil to hydrate and repair, or Activated Charcoal to detoxify the skin. If your client is time-compressed, help them choose a masque that does double duty with enzymes that act as an exfoliant too!

    Last, but certainly not least, everyone should apply SPF daily. We all know how important it is to apply your sunscreen during a hot summer day, but it is equally important to apply it on a cold rainy day. Temperature does not affect the UV index and clouds do not block all UV rays, in fact some cloud types increase the UV exposure. Remind your clients, if you can see the sun, it can see you. The sun’s potent UV rays can penetrate through windows too, so daily application of SPF will prevent cumulative photo-damage. Recommending a moisturizer with SPF is an easy way to ensure daily application.

    Don’t forget to help your client’s choose the best products for their skin by offering complimentary skin analysis with a detailed product prescription!